ORS 180.070¹
Power of Attorney General to conduct investigations and prosecutions
  • • duties of district attorneys unaffected

(1) The Attorney General may, when directed to do so by the Governor, take full charge of any investigation or prosecution of violation of law in which the circuit court has jurisdiction.

(2) When acting under this section, the Attorney General shall have all the powers of a district attorney, including the power to issue or cause to be issued subpoenas or other process. The Attorney General may, when the Attorney General considers the public interest requires, with or without the concurrence of the district attorney, direct the county grand jury to convene for the investigation and consideration of such matters of a criminal nature as the Attorney General desires to submit to it. The Attorney General may take full charge of the presentation of such matters to the grand jury, issue subpoenas, prepare indictments, and do all other things incident thereto to the same extent as the district attorney may do.

(3) All costs, fees and other expense shall be paid by the county in which the investigation takes place, to the same extent as if conducted by the district attorney of that county.

(4) The power conferred by this section, ORS 180.060 (Powers and duties of Attorney General), 180.220 (Powers and duties) or 180.240 (Attorney General and Department of Justice to have powers and prerogatives of district attorneys) does not deprive the district attorneys of any of their authority, or relieve them from any of their duties to prosecute criminal violations of law and advise the officers of the counties composing their districts.

Notes of Decisions

Request to public official for investiga­tion of alleged law viola­tions is absolutely privileged. Cushman v. Edgar, 44 Or App 297, 605 P2d 1210 (1980)

Law Review Cita­tions

94 OLR 589 (2016)

Chapter 180

Notes of Decisions

State Accident Insurance Fund Corpora­tion is subject to the pro­vi­sions of this chapter relating to legal representa­tion. Frohnmayer v. SAIF, 61 Or App 147, 655 P2d 1098 (1982), aff’d 294 Or 570, 660 P2d 1061 (1983)

Atty. Gen. Opinions

Legal business of Oregon Medical Insurance Pool is not part of state’s legal affairs and Attorney General may not provide advice or legal assistance to pool or its board of directors except at request of state of­fi­cer or agency, (1989) Vol 46, p 155

1 Legislative Counsel Committee, CHAPTER 180—Attorney General; Department of Justice, https://­www.­oregonlegislature.­gov/­bills_laws/­ors/­ors180.­html (2019) (last ac­cessed May 16, 2020).
 
2 Legislative Counsel Committee, Annotations to the Oregon Revised Stat­utes, Cumulative Supplement - 2019, Chapter 180, https://­www.­oregonlegislature.­gov/­bills_laws/­ors/­ano180.­html (2019) (last ac­cessed May 16, 2020).
 
3 OregonLaws.org assembles these lists by analyzing references between Sections. Each listed item refers back to the current Section in its own text. The result reveals relationships in the code that may not have otherwise been apparent. Currency Information